Egg nog jog was harmless fun

Enough about the egg nog jog in Chardon.
Get over it.
It's not that big of a deal.
So what if Chardon's assistant cross country coach Mary Pat Martin was there to witness it on the Chardon High School track over New Year's break.
Aren't there bigger problems for teenage kids, their coaches and parents to worry about?
I am the cross country beat writer for The News-Herald and over the years, I've witnessed plenty of kids throwing up before, during and after running.
IT HAPPENS.
This is not something new in cross country.
Cross country kids are an eclectic group of athletes. They have to be a little out there to put in all of the miles they do in rain, heat and snow. These kids are crazy fun.
So why not let them have a little fun?
Focus on more important things like drugs in school, teenage pregnancy and more.
I'm not proud to admit it, but we did things that were way worse when we were teenagers back in the day. Chugging egg nog and jogging wasn't one of them. In fact, I'm not going to even admit to what I did.
I'm just glad there weren't videos of it posted on facebook.
Coaches devote countless hours to helping high school athletes better themselves in so many ways. If they were paid what they deserve, they would be rich.
But they aren't in it for the money.
They are in it to enrich kids lives.
That's what Mary Pat Martin thought she was doing. Parents were present with her and there was no alcohol involved. Kids were not forced to do this.
They volunteered.
So give it up.
Enough about the egg nog jog.
-Theresa Neuhoff Audia

Whomever wrote this is as disgusting as the 'coach'. As a resident of Chardon, I feel that this was completely absurd, as well embarrassing to the city. She was not ENRICHING any child's life by endorsing such an act. Absolutely DISGUSTING!

You're wrong!! How can this be considered harmless fun? If a kid ended up in the hospital would you still think it was harmless? How can anyone with a functioning brain cell think vomiting is fun?

Plus, it was stupid and wasteful. No coach, paid by tax dollars, should be condoning this.

And, I think it should be considered criminal.

Given the tendency for the police to criminalize poor judgment (to wit:the case of the homeless man and his suitcase at the mall), why werethere no criminal charges filed in this case?

I can think of a number of potential charges. First, disorderlyconduct. I consider people deliberately making themselves sick to bedisorderly conduct.

Second, how about littering, or unsanitary deposition of bodily fluids?

Third, how about inducing panic. Anyone seeing those kids puking wouldprobably believe they had contracted some communicable disease. Or hadbeen exposed to a toxic chemical. Or even had radiation sickness.Maybe it was terrorism! Call the HAZMAT team! Cordon off the area!

Apparently affluent kids can do all kinds of stupid and immature stuntslike this, and get away with it. But a homeless man leaves his suitcaseunattended, and he gets the book thrown at him, and rots in jail.

That is the reason for the outrage being expressed. The coach failed toperform her role as the mature and responsible adult. She should haveprevented this from taking place. Instead she participated in it.

There also appears to be a difference of opinion as to the purpose ofschooling. Those of us who are disgusted by this incident believe thatschool is supposed to improve and uplift juveniles. To not only impartacademic knowledge, but to build character. To accelerate theirdevelopment into mature, responsible, caring, decent adults.

Those defending the coach seem to believe that school is just a giantfrat party funded by the suckers - I mean taxpayers.